The Schnelle family were farmers and lived in the Vandalia areaabout two more years after John Thomas was born, then moved toVan Buren County,Iowa, living less than a year in the small town of Birmingham, Iowa.

By 1856, they moved to a farm homestead in Putnam County, Missouri where he attended grade school and helped run the farm.

On Oct. 31, 1874, he married Emma Samantha Snider in AppanooseCounty, Iowa, who was born Oct. 10, 1856 and raised in Van BurenCounty, Iowa.

By the spring of 1875, they moved to a 200 acre farm purchased byAaron Frederick for $2250.00 in 1870, and was located N.W. ofGreen City, Missouri.

On Nov. 17, 1901 Sarah Annie was born. Three weeks later thefamily moved to a farm near Sharon, Kansas, where John's brotherAaron Wesley and his family, as well as other Schnelle familymembers were living at the time.

In 1905, John moved his family to a farm in the Emporia, Kansas area, (Americas, Kansas to be exact).

In 1908 he moved again to a ranch in Canyon, Texas and then againin 1912 ( although evidence exists that this may actually have been Oct. of 1910), to a farm in Ponce De Leon, Missouri.

On Oct. 17, 1941 he died 1 day short of his 88th birthday.

On May 30, 1950, Annie died and both are buried in the Aurora,Missouri, city cemetary.